My Wish for You -

I hope you open up much happiness on Christmas morning. And my wish to the New year ---- may the best day of your 2010 be the worst day of your 2011.

This year as with all years, we are enjoying our time with family and friends. It seems that sometimes we get so caught up in our everyday lives that we don't keep in touch as much as we should to let those we care about truly know that they are special in our lives.

We have been very blessed through the ten + years that we have been together. Our families have grown and our families have blended well. Though we lead separate lives here in San Diego, in Huntington Beach, Monterey, San Francisco and Vancouver, WA, we do our best to get together during the year and enjoy each other.

After losing Jim's Dad this summer, it made me stop and realize how lucky we are to have had him as long as we did. He was 90 yrs. old! What a grand life! And, Jim's Mom, who is also 90, is still with us and going strong. We will drive up to Huntington Beach the day after Christmas to be together with his Mom along with his sister and brother and sister-in-law and their exchange student from Germany, Leoni.

On Christmas Eve, we will enjoy babysitting Katelyn and Ryan during the daym then spending a wonderful family evening together at their house for our Christmas with them. On Christmas Day, we will pick up my parents and bring them back over to the where we will enjoy a good pork roast, with mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, apple sauce and cranberry sauce and some good pumpkin pie for dessert!

After we visit the family in Huntington Beach, we will head north to Monterey where we will have Christmas with my daughters and son-in-law and two grandsons, Joseph and Landon.

Our daughter Jennifer will be in Vancouver, WA enjoying a turkey dinner with friends and will notbe able to get down for Christmas this year. But, we have enjoyed several good visits with her during this past year and will definitely do the same in 2011.

I know there is no Santa Claus in reality - but, like Virginia, his spirit lives in me and always will. The spirit of giving and doing for others makes me happy. "Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus" is one of my favorite books of all time.

And so, this holiday season - I hope that spirit will find a place in your heart as well.

I hope you open up much happiness on Christmas morning. And my wish for you for the New year ----

May the best day of your 2010 be the worst day of your 2011.